Michigan's 97th House of Representatives district

Michigan's 97th State
House of Representatives
district
Michigan's 97th State; House of Representatives; district
Representative
	Matthew Bierlein; R–Vassar
Demographics	88.7% White; 3.2% Black; 4.4% Hispanic; 0.3% Asian; 0.2% Native American; 0.1% Other; 3.2% Multiracial
Population (2024)	94,207
Notes

Michigan's 97th House of Representatives district (also referred to as Michigan's 97th House district) is a legislative district within the Michigan House of Representatives located in parts of Bay, Genesee, Saginaw, and Tuscola counties.^[2] The district was created in 1965, when the Michigan House of Representatives district naming scheme changed from a county-based system to a numerical one.^[3]

List of representatives

Representative		Dates	Residence	Notes
F. Charles Raap	Democratic	1965–1966	Ravenna	^[4]
Edgar A. Geerlings	Republican	1967–1986	Muskegon	^[5]
Debbie Farhat	Democratic	1987–1988	Muskegon	^[6]
Nancy L. Crandall	Republican	1989–1990	Norton Shores	^[7]
Paul Baade	Democratic	1991–1992	Roosevelt Park	^[8]
Howard Wetters	Democratic	1993–1998	Kawkawlin	^[9]
Joseph Rivet	Democratic	1999–2002	Bay City	^[10]
Jennifer Elkins	Democratic	2003–2004	Lake	^[11]
Tim Moore	Republican	2005–2010	Farwell	Resigned.^[12]
Joel Johnson	Republican	2011–2016	Clare	^[13]
Jason Wentworth	Republican	2017–2022	Clare	^[14]
Matthew Bierlein	Republican	2023–present	Vassar	^[15]

Recent elections

2024 Michigan House of Representatives election^[16]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Matthew Bierlein	36,497	70.4
	Democratic	Mark Putnam	15,378	29.6
Total votes			51,875	100
	Republican hold

2022 Michigan House of Representatives election^[17]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Matthew Bierlein	28,024	66.6
	Democratic	Paul Whitney	14,028	33.4
Total votes			42,052	100
	Republican hold

2020 Michigan House of Representatives election^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jason Wentworth	31,602	71.2
	Democratic	Celia Young-Wenkel	12,794	28.8
Total votes			44,396	100
	Republican hold

2018 Michigan House of Representatives election^[19]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jason Wentworth	22,476	67.9
	Democratic	Celia Young-Wenkel	10,652	32.2
Total votes			33,128	100
	Republican hold

2016 Michigan House of Representatives election^[20]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jason Wentworth	24,124	64.9
	Democratic	Bob Townsend	13,074	35.2
Total votes			37,198	100
	Republican hold

2014 Michigan House of Representatives election^[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joel Johnson	16,570	63.1
	Democratic	Mark Lightfoot	9,688	36.9
Total votes			26,258	100
	Republican hold

2012 Michigan House of Representatives election^[22]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joel Johnson	23,295	61.8
	Democratic	Chris Breznau	14,387	38.2
Total votes			37,682	100
	Republican hold

2010 Michigan House of Representatives election^[23]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joel Johnson	16,819	58.3
	Democratic	Mark Lightfoot	10,657	36.9
	Libertarian	Brandon Dickhausen	1,392	4.8
Total votes			28,868	100
	Republican hold

2008 Michigan House of Representatives election^[24]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tim Moore	25,996	60.6
	Democratic	Kathy Wilton	16,877	39.4
Total votes			42,873	100
	Republican hold

Historical district boundaries

Description	Apportionment Plan	Notes
Muskegon County (part) Casnovia Township Cedar Creek Township Dalton Township Egelston Township Fruitland Township Fruitport Township Holton Township Laketon Township Moorland Township Muskegon Township (part) North Muskegon Norton Township Ravenna Township Roosevelt Park Sullivan Township	1964 Apportionment Plan	^[25]
Muskegon County (part) Excluding Fruitland Township Fruitport Township (part) Laketon Township Montague Montague Township Muskegon Muskegon Heights Muskegon Township North Muskegon White River Township Ottawa County (part) Excluding Holland (part) Hudsonville Georgetown Township (part) Jamestown Township Zeeland Township	1972 Apportionment Plan	^[26]
Muskegon County (part) Blue Lake Township Casnovia Township Cedar Creek Township Dalton Township Egelston Township Fruitport Township Holton Township Moorland Township Muskegon Heights Norton Shores Ravenna Township Roosevelt Park Sullivan Township	1982 Apportionment Plan	^[27]
Bay County (part) Auburn Bangor Township Beaver Township Fraser Township Garfield Township Gibson Township Kawkawlin Township Midland Mount Forest Township Pinconning Pinconning Township Williams Township	1992 Apportionment Plan	^[28]
Arenac County Bay County (part) Fraser Township Garfield Township Gibson Township Kawkawlin Township Mount Forest Township Pinconning Pinconning Township Clare County Gladwin County	2001 Apportionment Plan	^[29]
Arenac County Clare County Gladwin County Osceola County (part) Evart Evart Township Hersey Township Highland Township Marion Township Middle Branch Township Orient Township Osceola Township Sherman Township Sylvan Township	2011 Apportionment Plan	^[30]

References

↑ "State House District 97, MI". Census Reporter.
↑ "Hickory_House". Michigan. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
↑ "Speakers Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives, 1835–2015" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - F. Charles Raap". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Edgar A. Geerlings". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Debbie Farhat". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Nancy L. Crandall". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Paul T. Baade". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Howard Wetters". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Joseph L. Rivet". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Jennifer J. Elkins". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Tim Moore". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Joel Johnson". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Jason Wentworth". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
↑ "Legislator Details - Matthew Bierlein". Library of Michigan. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
↑ "2024 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
↑ "2022 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
↑ "2020 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
↑ "2018 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
↑ "2016 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
↑ "2014 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
↑ "2012 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
↑ "2010 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
↑ "2008 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
↑ "Michigan Manual 1965/1966". Michigan Legislature. 1965. p. 392. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
↑ "Michigan Manual 1975/1976". Michigan Legislature. 1975. p. 474. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
↑ "REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. 1989. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
↑ "REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. 1995. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
↑ "REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
↑ "MICHIGAN STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 97" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 15, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

[1] "State House District 97, MI". Census Reporter.

[2] "Hickory_House". Michigan. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

[3] "Speakers Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives, 1835–2015" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. Retrieved June 10, 2020.

[4] "Legislator Details - F. Charles Raap". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[5] "Legislator Details - Edgar A. Geerlings". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[6] "Legislator Details - Debbie Farhat". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[7] "Legislator Details - Nancy L. Crandall". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[8] "Legislator Details - Paul T. Baade". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[9] "Legislator Details - Howard Wetters". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[10] "Legislator Details - Joseph L. Rivet". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[11] "Legislator Details - Jennifer J. Elkins". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[12] "Legislator Details - Tim Moore". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[13] "Legislator Details - Joel Johnson". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[14] "Legislator Details - Jason Wentworth". Library of Michigan. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

[15] "Legislator Details - Matthew Bierlein". Library of Michigan. Retrieved January 1, 2023.

[16] "2024 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved November 5, 2025.

[17] "2022 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved November 5, 2025.

[18] "2020 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved November 5, 2025.

[19] "2018 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.

[20] "2016 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.

[21] "2014 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.

[22] "2012 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.

[23] "2010 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.

[24] "2008 Michigan Election Results". Lansing: Michigan Department of State. Retrieved June 9, 2020.

[25] "Michigan Manual 1965/1966". Michigan Legislature. 1965. p. 392. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

[26] "Michigan Manual 1975/1976". Michigan Legislature. 1975. p. 474. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

[27] "REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. 1989. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

[28] "REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. 1995. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

[29] "REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. 2001. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

[30] "MICHIGAN STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 97" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 15, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.

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